Electric tempering-furnace.



V. & v. E. RUYLE. ELECTRIC TEMPERING PURNACE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 12,1908.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909. A

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

V. & V. E. ROYLE.` A ELECTRIC TEMPERING FURNAGB.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, V1908.

943,272; Patented 1 e0.14,19o9.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 V. L V. E. ROYLE.V ELECTRIC TEMPBRING PURNACE.

APrLwAToN FILED MAY 12, 190s.

943,272, Patented Dec. 14', 1909. 3 SHEETS-SHEET s.

T6 y ff L 3 76 Wzn essex elevationv partly in section. Fig. 2 is an en-lductors ai'e\i onnected with the walls of the section. the sectionbeingtaken on the line .C-fC of Fig. 5. Fig.. T is a partial eleration on theoppositefside.

.P19i, ei". 4 yLl-.Shaped m crosslsection; the Space between.

U'Nlgdm` STAEES iigrENT OFFICE. r.

' VENNON'ROYLE AND VERNON E. ROYLE, 0F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY' ELECTRICTEv'PERING-FURNACE.

specifi-ation of j j Appncatiqafnedmay12,1908. serial No'. 432,415. u

Letters Patent.

Patented Der. He, 1909.

To (all whom it may concern: lle it known thatwe.. Ynnxox lloYLiandYicaxori IC.; loijmc. citizens` of the llnited States. and residents ofPaterson` in the county of Passai and State of New Jersey.ha\'e.inyented. a new and useful Electric Tempering-Furnace. of whichthe following a specifi-ation- 1- l e This inyention relates to atempering furnace and more particularly to a tempering furnace4 commonlyknown as an electric fusible salt furnace. the object being to pro .yideeffet-tire meansI for handling` tools and regulating their submission tothe action of the fusible salt with great accuracy and. atv thesametiine. proyiding for the automatic stoppingrof theaction of the toolcarrier when froni` any aus-e a- ,tool becomes jammed.` f

practical )embodiment of our invention isV repri-sent-ed inV theaccompanying` drawings. `in vwhich-- Figure 1"is a View of the furnacein Side lazrgedyiew in detaii'showing a partial section at the pointwhere the electric consalt retainingWessel for fusing the same.` Fig. 3;is a partialtop plan View on an enlarged scale partly broken away. Fig.Jf is a yiewof the samein side elevation partly in A-'A of Figiy Fig.\ 5iS a transverse section in the plane of the line B-l of Fig. t3.Yshowing the motor. and the operating'mechanisjm connected therewith intop pian. Fig. (3 isa yerti al section in the plane of the line at theAleftdhand `.side as the drawing is held in reading. and Fig, S is apartial elevation The ffurnace ie; conyeniently supported upon a hollowpillar1 haring a laterally extended Vbase 2. f

j The furnace caSing is annular inf form andconvenientlyU-shaped incrof-:s section. the.. annular U-sliaped'casing denoted by :v3

Tito the'flan'ged vtop of the pillar 1'.

'ivitliinand spaced therefrom the furnace ich annular' in` vform and,ariplanc and'carrieswith theA furnace and casing being filled with aninsulating noneiieatfcouducting material f).-

for instance`r asbestos Y The furnace wall a is supported from thecasing 3 by means of lugs '10 depending from the bottom of the furnacewhich rest upoir a non--heaticonducting insulating washer 11. afastening bolt 12 extending through the washer 11 into the lug 10. The

furnace is further provided on the upper Side of its bottom with asmooth faced track 12? along which the tool carriers :slidens wil'l lthefurnace spaced from each other and from the furnace walls and heldinposition by means of suitable bridge piecesl 1t'. 1T.V

made fast to the ca'fsingvl 3. These bridge pieces lt, 1i'. areinsulated from'thecasing b by means of inulating.washers 1S whichlSurround the f electrically connected with the plates Hand 15 by. meansof screws 20.21,--which` fasten them to the bridge pieces.

The space between the annular plates 11 and 15 is sutliciei'it'lo permitthe tool holder to travel around freely between them.'

The electric cmhrentv is brought into contact with the salts in thefurnaceihy connei-tingI one conductord'l, for instance thipositiye. withthe furnace wall. and the negative conductor i?) with the bridge pieces'lt. 1T. rby meansl ot' a -branch conductor 'll which passes from thebridge piece lt through the insulating material t) to the bridge piece1T.

The conductors 22. 23. may lead from binding posts QG. ixediu the web4.- or flange-( in proximity to the top of the pillar 1 to which thecurrent maj' be transmitted by suitable line wire 27. 2S.

A table 2&1 mounted byfmeans of a central hub oii'the hub 5 and ie keyedto the shaft 31 which extendsdownwardly within astening;,screwsv 1S) butarc` the pillar 1 ,\'l)e're=it is "connected up to aI which will behereinafter lparticularly de. scribed. r1`he table 2t) rotates 1n alhorizon-l it the tool holders v cal slots 33 for the purpose ot'exposing the j -in such numbers as may be desired, twenty cient size toreceive a tool therein with a free sliding movement, the'lower ends ofthe tubes being provided with a series of vertiltool therein to thefused salts when the tool holder with tool therein is lowered into thebath of fused salts in the furnace. It is intended that the several toolholders shall, when in operation in the salt'- bath in the furnace, reston and slide along the smooth track 13 at the bottom of the furnace andwhen it is desired to withdraw them from the bath within. the furnacethey are caused to ride`-up` an incline 34 and to permit the tooltherein to drop into a receiving tube 35 which' is supplied with acooling bath in any well known or approved form not vshown herein, thecoolingl bath being kept at a certain height within the' tube 35 bypermitting l it to overiiow through openings 3G in the tube 35 into abasin 3T from the bottom of which it is returned by means ot a pipe 3S.

As the tool holderv 32 passes over the top of the receiving tube todeposit the tool therein, it would have a tendency to fall by gravityinto the receivingtube 35 or into thel socket extension 39 of said tubeif the holder were not positively supported at that point by other meansthan by the track 13 e along which it has been allowed to slide whilecarrying -the tool in the bath.

To temporarily supportthe tool holders as they pass over the receivingtube 35, arms 40 are provided, one for each tool holder, the arms beingpivoted at their inner ends to suitable supports l1 near the center otthe table 29 and having their outer ends connected by means of a rockingjoint with the tool holdersI This connection may be simply made bypermitting the outer end ot the arm 4,0 to engage a slot 42 in the wallot the holder.

Each of the arms 40 has depending therefrom a rod or pin 43 whichextends down wardly through an elongated bearing -lfl in the table andwhich, just as the tool holder is about to pass over the top ot thereceiver, rides up an incline 45 on the web et and positively holds thearm 40 and tool holder suspended during the short interval while itasses over the receiver. After the tool older has passed the receiver,(see Fig. Ll) itxis allowed to travel down an incline 4G 'correspondingto the incline 3st and carries the tool which is placed therein justafter the tool holder passes into the receiver 35 down into the bath forten'ipering.

The supply of tools to be tempered may be conveniently deposited in awork reeejitacle 47 supported on the top of the shaft 31Mwzthinconvenient'. reach of the operator and they may be taken' from the pan47 and placed by the operator in the tool holders just as the\ latterpass the receiving-tube 35. l `or this 'purpose a hole 48 is formed in atable 49 under which the tool holders travel as they come up the incline34, pass the receiving tube 35 and go down the incline 4G.

For the purpose of gaining access to the interior of'the furnace atfrequent intervals throughout its length, the top of the furnace whichis formed by the table 29, is provided intermediate of each twoconsecutive tool ca rriers with a trap door 50.-

To guide'the tool holders in their vertical reciprocating movement, thetable 29 is provided with upwardly extending tubular bearings 5l inwhich the tool carriers slide, the wall of the tubular bearing 51 beingprovided with a. vertical slot 52 on the side toward the arm 40 for thepurpose ot permitting the free end of the latter to move up and downwith the tool'carrier.

The shaft 31 which extends down within the pillar is stepped in a toot,block 53 inserted through an opening in the side. of the pillarand madefast to the pillar and is provided with a bevel gear 5-1 near its foot,which gear intermeshes with a bevel gear .'35 on a horizontal shaft 5Gmounted in a bearing 57 bolted to the side of the pillar.

A U-shaped supporting` table 5S rests upon a flange 59 projectinglaterally from the pillar, the branches ot the U-shaped table beinglocated on opposite sides of the pillar. This table 58 supports anelectric motor in dicated at 60, the shaft 61 of the motor extendingtransversely to and 4above the shaft 5G and provided with a worm G2which engages a worm wheel G3 located on a shaft (34 extendingtransversely to the motor shaft. and below it and supported in suitablebearings (35, G6 on the table 58.

The shaft G4 has mounted at or near one end thereon a crank wheel GT,the wristl pin (S8 of which isembraced -by a pair of expansible .jaws69, 70, on a pitman 't' 1.

The pitman 71 is connected with one arm 7'2 on a bell cranklever'fulcrun'led on the shaft 56 at or near its outer end, the otherarm T3 of said bell 'crank lever carrying a gravit)v pawl 711 adapted.to engage a ratchet wheel T5 xed to rotate with the shaft 5G.

-The expansible jaws G9, 70, which embrace the wrist pin- GS are held inoperative adjustment with respect to the pin by a spring Tt, the tensionof the spring being sufficient to hold the jaws in' operative relationto the wrist pin when the strain upon the crank wheel normal but whenthe strain is abnormal,- due to any unusual hindrance in the rotation ofthe verticlfshat't 31, the jaws (i9 and TO will spread permitting thewrist pin to escape from its seat and it will work idly between the jawsalternately passing out. of and into its seat until the abnormal strainupon the vertical shaft 31 is removed. This will eectually preventdamage to the. gear of the -tol carriers.

Th'e paxvl 74v ispern'ntted to -engage the from anv unintentionalwedging or jamming ratchet wheel 75 on'lV at intervals, the time betweensuclrintervals being determined by the rate of rotation of a shield 77-Which sur rou'nds'the ratchet wheel and prevents. the

tool from. coniingin vengagement, with "the 10 teeth `of thef ratchetwheel save only Where the shield' 77 is 'cut away as at'78. to permit.the 'pawl to drop through temporarily lnto- 20 tegral therewith, a spurgear 80 b v which motion istransnntted to the shield v77 from t-heshaft64 as follows z-A shaft 8l is suportedv in suitable bearings' 82, 83. ona ranch of the table 58 and on'the side of the y "'25 pillar 1 oppositethat onwhich the shaft G4 is located, the shaft 8l carrying at or nearVone end a spur wheel 84 in mesh with the lvvheel 80 and at the oppositeend a spur gear85. The shaft 64 has at or near its end. a pinion 86andla shifting gear is interposed-between the pinion 8G and the spur.gear 85 to transmit a faster or slower motion to the gear 85 and henceto the shield '77 as may be desired,lv The shifting gear consists uffalarger spur ge'ar'f87 and a smaller spur gear' ,88, the two mounted on acommon 'short shaft or aide 89 supported in a bracket 90 `fixed toanextension of' the bearing'G. yThe 'spur gear 87 is ina position tointer- 49 mesh with the pinion 86 and the spur gear t88 ina position tointermesh 'with the spur 'r85. 'The' bracket 90 is in the form of an arm'and has' one end engaged with the extension on Ithe bearing split andprovided with a bolt 91 to clamp it to or release it from the v'bearing65 While the body4 of the arm bracket 90 is provided 'withan elongatedslot 92 Ain which the shaft or axle89 is clamped so 5 0 that the wheels`carried bythe shaft or `axle 89 may be moved bodil)7 toward `rand awayvfrom the center of the shaft 64,'co`ncentric vwith whichthe 4arm 90 isfixed. For instance, ifa Wheel smaller than'the Wheel 87 55 were to beputtin its place and a Wheel eater than the Wheel 88 were to be put inits place, the wheels 87 and 88 would be removed and when the otherswere placed in (position, the shaft 89 would be adjusted' along the slot9'2 until the wheel which took the'place ofthe wheel 89 intermtv shedwith the pinion 86 and the shaft 89 then secured in the slot and thelbracket arm would then be,swung on 1ts support to bring the wheel 65.which ivas substituted for `the wheel' 88 into engagement with thespurjwheel 85 hold the parts in assembled adjustment. B v thus-shiftingthegenr 87, 88,--and replacing it )Vith other gear, a faster or slowermotion may be imparted tofthe shield 7T while the motor shaft 62 'and.the shaft '64 driven thereby maintains a constant rate of speed theratchet wheel 7 5 at more or less frequent intervals 'and' henceimparting a step bv step movement of thev'ertical shaft 31 which carriesthe toolholdersal'ong' within the furnace at a more rapid or less rapidrate as m'ay be desired to produce 'the .most advantageoushardeningjeffect upon the tools.

The operation of' therseveral parts has been so particularly.dscribedinconnection with the foregoing lexplanation. that a dc--.ta'ilcddescription of the operation is deemed unnecessary. In neral,the operation is as follows The too s are ltakenfby the operator fromthe tray, or pan 47'and placed in the tool holders A32 asthe toolholders pass under the opening 48 and the gear having been set tokeepthe tools incontactl with the fusible salts within the furnace thedesired length of time, the -will becarried around within the furnace ythe 4travel of the tool.

holders along the rim until they are' one after another dropped into thereceiver conduitl 35 just before the tool holder reaches a positionbelow the opening 48 to receive another tool. In .order that themovement o f the vtool holder over the mouth of the receiver conduit maybe sutliciently slow to afford the tool time to drop free from the. toolholder into the receiver conduit under the' influence of gravity, thestroke of the crank wheel 67. is so timed that the more rapid part lofsaid stroke and its action upon the pawl 7 4 will takel place justbefore the receiver lreaches the opening 39 while the slower partof thestroke will take place-whilerthe toolholder is passing over the conduit.l

It is obvious that changes might be resorted. to in the form andarrangement of the several part-s Without departing from -the spirit andscope ofl our invention; hence we do not wish to limit ourselvesstrictly to l'the structure 'herein shown and described, but

What We claim is 1.` An electric tempering furnace comprisingI anendless receptacle for fusible salts,

means for applying an electric currentthereto and means forautomatically passing tools one after another into and out. of the'receptaclej vy l 2. An electric tempering furnace comprising an annularreceptacle for fusible salts, means for applying an electric current`thereto and means for automatically passing tools one after anotheralong wlthinthe receptacle and out ofthe receptacle.

and then the bolt 91 would be tightened to 3. An electric temperingfurnace comprising an annular receptacle for fusible salts,

means for applying; any;.electricv current thereto, the .said receptaclebeing provided with acentral track along the .bottonr thereof, toolholders arrangedto travel along the track and.v means Ifor operating thetool holders.

l. An electric tempering furnace comprisv ing an annular receptacle forfusible salts, means for applying an electric current thereto, toolholders arranged to travel con-4 secutively along the bottom ofsaid'receptarle, means for lifting. the tool holdersat the limit of.their traveland a receiver con.-y

duit through which theftolols pass fromthe tool holders.

An electric tempering furnace comprising an annularvreceptacle forfusible salts, the said receptacle being .provided with trap -doors fory gaining {..accesskto the interior thereof at frequent intervals, meansfor applying the electriecurre'nt tov the receptacle, open ended l toolholders arranged to travel along Within 'the receptaclen meansforlifting` the tool holdersat tlie'ftermination of.

their travel and a receiver ',co'ndnit" 'through which the toolspassjroinfthe tgpllholders.

6. An electric tempering furnace comprising an .annular receptacle 'forfusible salts,

means for applying-an electric current there.`

to, a rotating table forming a cover for the receptacle andprovided'withsocket bearings, vertically reciprocating. tool holders located in. saidsocket. bearingsein position. to more ,vertically .into and out'of thesalt receptacle, means. for rot-ating .the table,

means for lifting the tool holders at thel termination of their. traveland a" receiver conduit into which the toolspass `from the tool holders.y

7. An? electric tempering furnacecomprising an annularreceptacle forfusible salts, means for applying an electric current thereJ pass overthe mouth of the said receiver conduit. f y y 8. 'An electric temperingfurnacel comprising an' annular receptacle for receiving fusiblesalts,.1neans for applying an electric. current thereto, open ended toolholders arranged to'tra'vel Within thefurnace a re-v ceiver conduit overthe mouth of lvvhlch the. tool holders pass, radial vertically vibratingarms having their free ends .engaged,1one

with each tool holder, andl camslarrangedto support the armsand hencethe tool holders during the .passage of the tool holders over the mouthof the'receiver conduit.

9. Anelectric tempering furnace com rising an' annular receptacle'forreceiving. usible salts, means for' appl ing the electric currentthereto, open-,ende tool holders arranged to travel along within thereceptacle, a receiver conduit and means for retarding .the advancemovement of the tool holder asl it passes over the mouth-ofthe receiverconduit.

10. VThe combination with a receptacle for' receiving the tools to betempered, tool carriers arrangedl to move along the receptaclega rotaryshaft for operati 4the toolcarriers and means for'rot-ating t e shaft,of means for automaticallyl disconnecting the shaft from thedriving'pover when the shaft preysents an abnorma resistance to 'thedriving power.

11. An electric tempering furnace, comprising-.a-'n annular receptaclefor .receiving fusible salts, means for applying the electric currentthereto, a track spaced from and 1ocated along the bottom of the annularrece tacle for supporting the tools during t e tempering ,operation andmeans for enter,- ing tools along said track within the mass of fusiblesalts.I

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing als `our invention, We havesigned our names 1n presence'of two lWitnesses, this 30th day of April,1908.

VERNON RoYLE. vEBNoN E. RoYLE.

-Witnesses:

HEBER RorL'E, ARTHUR B'. HUNT.

